Santa Barbara County detectives searching for 18 cannabis burglary suspects

July 28, 2026

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives are searching for 18 suspects from Southern California who allegedly committed two large-scale burglaries of a cannabis cultivation site in Carpinteria earlier this year.

In total, detectives have identified 19 suspects in the case, 17 of whom are adults and two of whom are juveniles. Eighteen of the suspects are at large. One of the suspects was murdered on Feb. 16, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

On Monday, a judge issued felony arrest warrants for all of the adult suspects on charges of burglary, grand theft and conspiracy.

On Jan. 17 and Feb. 4, the suspects allegedly stole approximately 2,000 pounds of cannabis from a farm in the 4000 block of Foothill Road. The stolen cannabis is valued at more than $500,000.

During the January burglary, the suspects fled before law enforcement personnel arrived. Although the suspects wore masks during the burglary, detectives managed to identify all of the suspects who were involved through an extensive follow-up investigation.

After the February burglary, the suspects fled in multiple vehicles, leading to two separate traffic collisions in Carpinteria. A coordinated law enforcement response led to three arrests at the time. Authorities arrested Abraham Bustos, along with two 17-year-old males, following the February burglary.

Detectives have now identified the suspects in the Jan. 17 burglary as:

1. Dvaryae Deshawn Bryant, 22, Los Angeles
2. Jeremiah Exzavis Wilson, 23, Lancaster
3. Isaiah Jovan Lee Piggue, 22, Lancaster
4. Jerry Angel Meneses Lopez, 26, Santa Monica
5. Justin Lawrence Smith, 26, Gardena
6. Kyre Albert Amari Richard, 21, Palmdale
7. Larry Eudell Lockridge III, 34, Los Angeles
8. London Malik Rogers, 25, Hawthorne
9. Norman Jay Williams, 37, Los Angeles

The suspects in the Feb. 4 burglary have been identified as:

1. Abraham Bustos, 21, Lynwood
2. Angel Alexis Rivera, 19, Lynwood
3. Jathan Douglas Matthews, 18, Los Angeles
4. Male juvenile, 17, South Gate (name withheld)
5. Male juvenile, 17, Lynwood (name withheld)
6. Justin Edward Castillo, 26, Cudahy
7. Katherine Chantal Lopez, 30, Los Angeles
8. Kevin Lamar Hardy, 21, Bellflower
9. Vincent Joshua Rioz, 22, Santa Fe Springs

Authorities referred the two 17-year-old suspects to Santa Barbara County Juvenile Court.

“These cases demonstrate the commitment of our detectives to identifying every suspect involved in organized property crimes, no matter how long the investigation takes,” Sheriff Bill Brown said in a statement. “We will continue to aggressively investigate those who target legal cannabis and other businesses in Santa Barbara County, and we will work with our law enforcement partners to locate and apprehend these suspects. Let this be a lesson for out-of-town criminals who seek to prey upon Santa Barbara County victims and businesses.”

Sheriff’s officials are asking the public for assistance with locating the 18 outstanding suspects. Anyone who has information regarding their whereabouts is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at (805) 681-4150. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the Sheriff’s Office Anonymous Tip line at (805) 681-4171 or online at sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip.